Do silkies get along well with other birds

[peepblessed]

My silkies did great with my EE's but I kept them in separate pens (one fence between for about 3 months). Also my LF hens were not aggressive. I even had a LF roo and silkie roo. They all stayed in their own groups. I also have a very large run, separate food and they slept in separate coops.

 

[Irishluck628]

I have silkies and they got along great with each other, no matter what age they are. (6 weeks-5 years) But they did not get along with my Rhode Island reds or Buff Cochin's. They were in adjoining runs, and would try to fight each other through the fence. (Their runs backed up to each other) I finally had to put a tarp on the fence so they could not see each other to stop them from injuring themselves. Even when they were being shown (for 4-H) they couldn't be in coops anywhere near each other. Although it was usually only the roosters that fought...

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

I got two silkies last month, and they lived in the house for a month, till I built them their own coop & run. I have 15 large breed hens & roo, and I knew they would not last around them.

I do want to get some Maran chicks in the spring, and was thinking about putting them with the Silkies, after the quarantine time was over. Then once they got full size introduce them to the older flock.

My 15 chickens are two separate flocks, had 10, then got 3, two weeks later, then 2 weeks later got 2 more. The 10 were in the coop & the 5 were in the house. Took me a month for them to be civil to each other in the run, and another month for them to behave in the coop. Lucky for me, no blood or feather pulling. Even now, they have been together for 4 months, the 5 youngers and at the bottom of the pecking order, and will get chased off, by the older ones.

 

[ECBW]

Silkies will fit in fine but will stay at the bottom of the pecking order because they are small.

The real concern is that silkies are handicapped. They can not do many things other breeds take for granted. My silkie has a hard time getting to the lowest perch at 15" high. I have never seen her at the next level (30"). She used to sleep on the floor. Now she tends to stay in the nest next to the low perch for long periods while other breeds would hop up and down all day long. I worry if she is eating enough.

It seems that special features such as very low roost or ladder, or nest at floor level, would be prudent if you want to keep silkies.

 

[clucksbc]

When we first got our silkie...she seemed like a character right off the bat..was definately our favorite...a bit slow..was happy, and got along fine on her terms...then...she became almost bully like...sticking her opinionated beak around...a borderline problem..
but seemed to calm right down after she begun laying...now is incredibly sweet...I handle her often...and she seems very content...
the biggest surprise is how well of a layer she is...almost everyday. for 2 months..now..not sure how she will fare over winter ..but so far shows no sighns of letting up..and the egg is a good average size..

but be prepared for a bit of a jostle up...but should sort itself out in about a week

 

[BWKatz]

I have 2 silkies that were raised with with six of my LF and were introduced to my year old other 4 LF. They've always gotten along with everyone.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Perhaps if the birds were raised together it would work to keep bantams with standard size chickens. But i would never put silkies in with an established flock of larger birds. Introducing any new birds to an existing flock can be brutal. But to put docile, slow, heavy crested little birds in with large aggressive birds would be cruel to the little guys - they could be severely injured or killed. Build them their own little coop and pen. They will be happier. You will be happier. And you will probably want to get a few more silkies for your "little girl" pen.

 

[opalwednesday]

I introduced two showgirl silkies to my full grown large fowl flock with just the normal scuffle. the way the showgirls acted it seemed more like they weren't interested in what everyone else thought. Maybe it helped that they were a bonded pair already? My RIRs are really sweet to me but totally aggressive to other birds, something in the attitude with the newbies worked out just right, no problems...

worth a try right? I guess as long as you're okay with maybe having to separate them.

 

[kennedykors]

My question is very similar. I want to get a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte chick first but eventually if I want to get a Silkie would they get along? They would be the only 2 I would have as pets.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

From your post, it sounds like you plan to get them at different times? If that's not the case, I apologize, but I think you'd be better off getting them at the same time and raising them up together.
I've never had much luck keeping my Silkies with LF, even when the Silkies hatched them out and raised them. Even in that situation, pecking order kicks in and those bigger birds always have a huge advantage. Size and sight. They could be perfectly fine together, or it could turn ugly. Theres no definitive answer to this question. Each chicken is an individual, and their personalities can vary a lot. If you try it, best to have a back up plan (such as a way to separate them) just in case.

Also, you may want to consider three chickens instead of two. What if you loose one? Then you're left with a lonely, depressed single chicken and the daunting task of introducing a new bird to that coop. If you have three and loose one, at least the remaining birds will have each other...

Good luck!